It has been known that (S)-trans-{4-[({2-[({1-[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]ethyl}{5-[2-(methylsulfonyl)ethoxy]pyrimidin-2-yl}amino)methyl]-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl}(ethyl)amino)methyl]cyclohexyl}acetic acid (hereinafter also referred to as a “pyrimidine compound (1)” in the present description) represented by the following formula (1):
has an action to inhibit a cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), an action to reduce the amount of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) protein and the like, and that this compound is useful for preventing or treating diseases such as dyslipidemia (Patent Literatures 1, 2, and 3).
With regard to the pyrimidine compound (1), it has been disclosed so far that a racemate thereof was obtained in the form of a light yellow oil in Example 45 of Patent Literature 1. In addition, it has also been disclosed in Example 1 of Patent Literature 2 and Production Example 2 of Patent Literature 3 that the pyrimidine compound (1) was obtained in the form of a white amorphous substance.
However, a crystal of the pyrimidine compound (1) has not yet been reported so far.
In general, if a means for crystallizing a low-molecular weight compound available as an active ingredient of pharmaceutical product were established, the purity thereof could be improved by recrystallization. Thus, a high-purity pharmaceutical product can be provided. Moreover, when compared with forms having poor crystallinity, such as an amorphous substance and an amorphous solid, a crystal has excellent homogeneity and less likely to cause unevenness in solubility and the like. Hence, it becomes possible to provide a homogeneous pharmaceutical product from such a crystal. Furthermore, since the crystal is generally a solid and is easily handled, it is advantageous for production of a pharmaceutical preparation.
Considering the aforementioned advantages, in general, it is desired to develop a crystal form from a low-molecular-weight compound available as an active ingredient of pharmaceutical product. However, it is extremely unlikely to predict the formation of a crystal from a compound, and thus, under the current circumstances, the possibility of formation of a crystal, conditions for crystal formation, etc. are totally unknown until they are actually examined.